How to Make a Healthy Meal Plan For Weight Loss

The information presented in this post is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It does not replace advice from a medical professional. Please consult a medical professional prior to starting any new diet or exercise program. I am not a medical professional nor a fitness trainer. Every effort is made to ensure the information presented in the following post is accurate and true. Always follow your doctor’s instructions and advice first and foremost. Post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, please read my full terms of use, disclosure policy and privacy policy by clicking on the appropriate links.

Many bariatric programs require patients to lose weight before surgery because the less you weigh at surgery, the lower your risk of complications. My surgeon required me to lose 50 pounds, so I researched healthy meal plans for weight loss. I also learned about nutrition in my pre-op nutrition classes. What I learned is that a high-protein diet, full of vegetables, lean meats and healthy fats can help me lose weight before surgery. And it did – I lost 80 pounds before surgery. I’ve included some of my favorite meal idea to give you some ideas to generate your menu. A healthy meal plan for weight loss includes a variety of high-protein foods, vegetables and healthy fats.

The Most Important Step

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of a healthy meal plan for weight loss, you have to do one thing. This thing is perhaps the most important step in creating a menu to encourage weight loss before bariatric surgery. You need to see a medical provider. This could be your family doctor, your bariatric surgeon, a bariatric nurse or a registered dietitian. The reason you need to seek professional advice is that I am not a medical professional. I have no medical training. Any of the advice I provide in this post is strictly for informational purposes only.

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The information I provide is based on a combination of my own experience, research and information I learned in my nutrition classes. While I strive to ensure all of my posts, including this one, are properly researched to give you the best and most accurate information possible, it still doesn’t replace the fact that I am not a medical professional. What I write in this post can be used as a guideline, but ultimately the decision on the foods you eat is up to you and your medical provider.

Know Your Calorie Requirements

So now that you’ve met with a medical professional, let’s discuss how you can develop your healthy meal plan for weight loss. This process is the same one I followed when I had to lose weight before my bariatric surgery. You first need to figure out how many calories your body needs to function. A basal metabolic rate or BMR is the minimum number of calories your body needs to sustain basic bodily functions. It’s the amount of energy your body needs to keep you alive if all you did was sit around and not move or eat.

According to this BMR Calculator online, an accurate BMR is calculated in a laboratory setting. However, you can use this calculator to get an idea of how many calories your body needs. It also gives you a chart based on your activity level on how many calories your body needs a day. Take your BMR number and subtract 500 calories. That is the number of calories you should aim to consume per day if you want to lose a pound a week. If you want to lose two pounds a week, subtract 1,000 calories.

Reduction of Calories

Now, lots of factors play into weight loss, so it’s not a perfect science. Your genetics, medical conditions, medications and environment all play a role. However, you can use this number as a general guideline. Also, if you aim to eat 250 calories less than what your BMR calculates plus exercise to burn 250 calories, then you can also lose about a pound per week. You’re trying to create a calorie deficit to burn more calories than you consume. When you reduce your caloric intake, try lower-calorie substitutes of your favorite foods. If you need some ideas, you might want to check out this post I wrote for how I make healthy substitutions.

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You’re also going to want to track the calories of your healthy meal plan for weight loss. Track every bite, lick, taste and meal that you eat and drink. All of those calories add up. You can use a good old fashioned paper and pen to track or take advantage of technology and use a calorie tracker like the one in the FitBit app or MyFitnessPal. I prefer My Fitness Pal, as I think their collection of food options and restaurant options are more complete. Being diligent about tracking your food and fluids will help you be able to stick to the number of calories you can consume for your healthy meal plan for weight loss.

Healthy Meal Plan for Weight Loss

When I first started my bariatric surgery journey and needed to lose weight, I started by learning how to meal prep and then automate my meals. These two factors are two of the healthy lifestyle habits I still sustain to this day to find success with bariatric surgery. If you’re ready to start instilling healthy habits to prepare for success with bariatric surgery, check out my free download here. It’s a bariatric beginner’s guide that will get you started on the right track for bariatric surgery.

Breakfast Ideas

During my pre-op phase, I ate an apple with two tablespoons of peanut butter and a slice of wheat toast with one tablespoon of peanut butter for breakfast nearly every day. On weekends, I typically ate a few eggs with a few strips of turkey bacon. However, I generally ate the same things every day. It was much easier to track on MyFitnessPal, and it was foods I loved so I didn’t mind eating them every day. Some other ideas for breakfast include:

• Eggs or egg whites with turkey bacon or sausage
• Overnight oats with fruit and nuts
• Greek yogurt topped with fresh fruit
• Banana pancakes – One ripe banana mashed with one egg and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Fry in a frying pan like a pancake.
• Banana Peanut Butter Protein Shake – One serving vanilla protein powder, one tablespoon PB2, one frozen banana cut into chunks, one to two cups almond milk, blended in a Ninja blender.

Lunch Ideas

For lunch, I typically ate leftovers of my dinner from the night before. Or, I would make a big batch of chicken chili, taco meat or a salad and divide that into five servings for lunch that week. Since I worked full-time throughout my journey, meal prepping for lunch allowed me to save calories and money by avoiding the drive-through window. Some other ideas for lunch include:

• Grilled chicken with green beans
• Tuna salad on a bed of greens
• Chef salad
• Lean roast beef with broccoli
• Meatless burger with lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions
• Greek yogurt topped with fresh fruit and nuts
• Chicken-crust pizza

Dinner Ideas

For dinner, I usually ate a serving of carbohydrates with my lean protein and vegetables. Once a week, I usually made a pasta dish, like spaghetti or chicken Alfredo. I still make pasta dishes occasionally after surgery, but I typically use zoodles or chickpea pasta instead of regular flour noodles. Some other dinner ideas include:

• Chicken zoodle Alfredo
• Chicken meatballs with broccoli
• Roasted turkey breast with sweet potatoes
• Grilled salmon with asparagus
• Lean steak with mixed vegetables
• Shrimp with zucchini
• Lamb with beets

Snack Ideas

If you get hungry between meals, you can optionally snack. I often drink a protein shake now as a snack between meals or eat a few tablespoons of mixed nuts. Before surgery, I ate Greek yogurt or a piece of fruit with nuts. You’ll want to aim for high-protein, high-fiber and low-carbohydrate snacks to provide you with lasting energy and keep you satisfied between meals. Some other snack ideas include:

• Mixed nuts
• Hard-boiled egg
• Beef jerky
• Protein bar
• Cherry tomatoes with string cheese
• Grapes with cubed cheese
• A few slices of deli turkey with a slice of cheese
• Avocado
• Carrots with hummus

Exercise Ideas

Incorporating exercise into your lifestyle is an important component of a healthy meal plan for weight loss. When I first started exercising, I walked in my home with a DVD from Leslie Sansone. I eventually moved onto other workout videos I found from my cable provider and online. Later, I started going to the gym regularly. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. However, don’t start that high. You’ll burn out and injure yourself. Start slow and build yourself up. Some exercise ideas to try are:

• Walking
• Kickboxing
• Zumba
• Country Heat
• Pound Fitness
• Swimming
• Yoga
• Biking

Serving Sizes

You’ll notice in my healthy meal ideas for weight loss that I didn’t include any serving sizes. The reason I didn’t include it is that every person is different with different calorie needs. You need to customize this plan to your body and your unique caloric needs. Generally, you’ll eat three to four ounces of protein; one-cup raw or one-half cup cooked vegetables; one serving of starches or one serving of fruit; plus two servings of healthy fats per meal.

If you can design a meal plan for yourself that allows you to stay within your calorie goals each day, you can make significant efforts to lose weight before surgery. Consult a medical professional if you want an exact meal plan and serving sizes. Remember to track all of your food to ensure you don’t go over your caloric intake each day and exercise to burn off some extra calories.

Create a Healthy Meal Plan for Weight Loss

So if you’re wondering how to lose weight before bariatric surgery, try following a high-protein diet full of vegetables, fruit and healthy fats. By figuring out how many calories you need to lose weight and track your intake, you can lose weight before your bariatric surgery. Use these ideas as a guideline, and seek your doctor’s advice for proper nutrition for your own unique body. Get creative and enjoy the foods you eat so that you are more likely to stick to the lifestyle changes. A healthy meal plan for weight loss includes a variety of high-protein foods, vegetables and healthy fats.

If this article gave you some great ideas to incorporate into your life, just imagine what other amazing strategies I have for you! Share this post on social media by clicking one of the sharing buttons, and don’t forget to join my email list! You’ll be the first to get updates, access to my new products and lots of tips, inspiration and motivation to help in your bariatric surgery journey. Just for joining, I’ll send you a free Bariatric Beginner’s Guide to get you started, as well as some other pretty awesome goodies to keep you motivated. Join today!

In Summary

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